The designer made the announcement while in conversation with Kinvara Balfour at the Regent Street Apple Store last night, in his usual fuss-free and candid style.

"I lost so many friends in college - I would say more than half of my closest friends. Richard, my partner of 27 years, had also gone through something also quite tough in his life. We are now married which is nice," he said. "I know that was just made legal in the UK which is great; we were married in the States."

The couple, who have a young son together - Alexander John Buckley Ford - met at a fashion show in the Eighties, a moment that Ford has in the past described as instant attraction. "I went to a fashion show and this silver-haired guy was staring at me with these piercing water-blue eyes," he told WWD. "It scared me because I absolutely saw and knew my entire future."

I too have a May-December romance. I am 53 and my partner is 76, the same age as my father and three years older than my mother. It wasn't that he robbed the cradle, so to speak, but the fact that my grandmother, who was 15 years younger than my grandfather, always told me that it's better to be an old man's sweetheart than a young man's fool. I don't think she thought that I would take it so literal. Anyway, we have just celebrated our 33rd anniversary together. My love also has stage 4 prostate cancer that we are fighting together and hope to have many years yet to come. We also live in Kansas and hope to be married in our state someday. So to Tom and Richard, here's to you, and many more years to come!

why is age an issue here? they both met in their youth, Richard was 38, and Tom 25, its a 13 year difference hardly even big enough to say "he could be his father" much less "he could be his grandfather". They fell in love. So the fact that one of them became a senior sooner than the other is supposed to invalidate a 27 year relationship? Puhleaaze dont be so shallow. I am 28 and in love with someone who is 38 and the age difference is similar as Tom and Richard. If I can love him now, I can love him when Im 58 and hes 68.

I'm not here to change anyone's mind, because all in my that in this is one you shouldn't have to do. Just because of his gray hair doesn't mean a d*mn thing. My sister started getting gray hair in her 20's and believe me it wasn't what she wanted, but she was able to flaunt it.

Also, the whole you could better is what single people mainly women say. It's good that people like you for what's on the inside, because it's when the ish gets real and all you sitback and enjoy babe.

Is that what gay marriage is about, finding the hottest stud you can get? These 2 have been together 27 years. Back then, his older partner was probably more studly, more to your high standards of physical perfection. But it is obvious that they truly LOVE each other. Remember love? When you fall in love with a human being, you stay with them because they are a soul you know and want to go through life with. The body ages. But marriage (even in the superficial gay world) is not based on a guy finding another guy who is his physical equal, so that they make a great public couple (how high school is!). Instead, I see 2 men who have been through a lot together (27 years!!!). They can finally honor that commitment with a marriage ceremony. Bless them.

Let's see. You read that they have been together 27 years and raised a child together? That is DEEP stuff - MATURE stuff. Yet, it matters not to you. You are still at a mental state where all that matters is how hot his partner looks. If that is the only criteria for gay marriage, maybe he should have paid some famous gay model or porn star to marry him, eh?